"Time, gentlemen, please!" Called Sally, the landlady of the Blue Hen.
Quick as a flash, Simon shouted back, "10.15, Sal," and the motley crew that surrounded him all looked at their watches and nodded.
"Gah! Get away with ye. Lads, ye know it's almost 12!" Sal responded good-humouredly.
"What? Sal, look at your own clock." Simon pointed towards the big antique clock on the wall. All eyes moved with his pointed finger and then moved slowly back to Sally.
"For feck's sake, Simon! You DID NOT change my granda's clock!" Sal's usual humour began to slip as she looked up at the clock. "You're a pure culchie, Simon!
If you've banjaxed it. Well, let's just say, you can go and bollox, if ye t'ink ye'll be getting served the black stuff in here again." Sal growled as she strode towards the clock. "How'd ye even manage it?"
Everyone was watching Sally now. They knew that she'd named the pub the Blue Hen because she could match any trucker with her colourful turn of phrase but this was just weird.
"Manage it? Sal! It's 10.15! What are ye eating the head off me for? Seriously!" Simon looked around at the others in the bar. "Is it just me or are ye all in on this?" Simon looked at his watch again. "Okay, so, it's 10.25 now but..." He looked toward his buddy Padraig, "what time do ye make it?"
Padraig looked confused. "I have 10.23," he said as he looked at Sal's back. He didn't want to upset her as he'd been coming to the Blue Hen for years and didn't want to get barred but it was only 10.23.
Sally turned around slowly. She looked at everyone staring at her. They all had concerned looks on their faces. All except Simon, who looked like he was chewing on a brick and mumbling something under his breath.
"Are ye well, Sal?" Mary asked. "You're looking a bit peaky." Mary had emerged from the bar and was walking toward her.
Mary had worked at the Blue Hen since Sal had taken it over from her granda six years back. They were great friends and she knew Sal had never really wanted the pub. She'd always had dreams of travelling.
Sal, now scarlet, barked out a laugh, "Sure, I was only codding ya! C'mon, Mary, let's crack on. We've got drinks to serve." And with that Sal marched back behind the bar, while everyone else stared on.
"Simon, what'll it be? It's on me." She said as she pulled out a pint glass and held her hand on the Guinness pump.
Before long, with drinks flying down the necks of all those in the bar, the Blue Hen was back in business as if nothing had happened. Sal felt the hours passing by, exhausted. She looked at her granda's clock on the wall opposite the bar, noting it was nearly midnight.
Raising her voice above the din, Sal called out, "Time, gentlemen, please!" Ready for the evening to finally end, she couldn't believe her ears when she heard Simon's voice again.
"10.15, Sal. Plenty time left yet!" He laughed.
Sally groaned.
Looking at her granda's clock she saw that once again time had rewound. "Not again."
This time though, she strolled up to Simon, looked into his eyes and asked, "If ye could rewind your time, would you change your life?" And with that, she kissed him.
This is my ineligible entry to the Dreem - Word of the Week contest. This is the 2nd round of season 1 and the theme is Time.
Cover image created using Canva with photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash
Time line divider created using Canva elements and vector image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Stereophonics, "Rewind" taken from YouTube
Dreemport banner used with permission of @dreemsteem and @dreemport and designed by @jimramones
LOVING the story!! ❤️❤️
Was it the old clock the reason the time went back?
I like to think it was her granda rewinding time for her so she could make new choices.
Funny, though, I didn't have that idea until the story began to write itself. Hehe!
Thanks for "LOVING the story!!" I really appreciate your support. 🤗💛
!Luv
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And maybe, have a little fun? 😀
Always. ♥️
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Wow!……a Master of the quill you be Ma’am :) I was riveted by every word from the first and can’t wait for the next part and hidden “meaning”.
Brilliant @juliamulcahy ☺️
You be very kind, Sir! As this was my entry for Dreem-WotW, I hadn't actually considered a follow-up but as you could not locate the meaning within, I may have to consider a return to the Blue Hen. Who knows, maybe then, I'll put the "meaning" in plain sight. Haha!
Hehehe. Whaaat?………no follow up intended initially??………for real?…….like seriously for real not? 🙈😅
I think that dream wotw has just been struck off my Xmas wish list I tell ya hehe.
There are a couple of meanings that I could formulate but I have a curiosity like an ox so I would ponder for months about whether mine is the same as what yours was……..
Ai, the life of a mouse I tell ya…..🙈hehehe.
A mouse with the curiosity of an ox?! ROFL.
Well, I don't want you to strike dreem-wotw off your Xmas list, so I will endeavour to come up with a sequel. Haha!
I guess I'm kinda curious about what will become of Sal & Simon too. Also, I quite like the idea of the granda clock making another appearance. Messages from the other place through a timepiece are always fun.
It be one of life’s battles and has often gotten me caught in a cheese mouse trap as the ox bull bears down charging my red socks hehehe.
Yaaaaah……….round two is starting to sound like it will happen……”you should see my mouse happy dance” 🐭💃😅
Your plots for Sal & Simon are sounding juicy and even if it is only a cameo appearance, the granda timepiece has to make an appearance.
Waiting in fried Camembert & cranberry sauce suspensive anticipation……..hehe.
I'm wondering, is this your way of giving me a timeline? When all the camembert & cranberry has gone, will you be expecting a story? A prequel or sequel perhaps?
I'm now thinking it would be fun to rewind the story further. Haha!
By the way, if you are up for a little adventure, where your curiosity will be most welcome, @litguru and I are in need of a Cheshire Cat for a trippy Hive Party!
Let me tempt that curious mind of yours by leaving this here. Also, be sure to follow as many links along the way to allow you to go deeper down the rabbit hole. Lol!
I do so hope you will have the TIME! 🐭🐇🕰️
Hehehe………moi giving you timelines??…….neeeeva. I could live on continuous fried Camembert & cranberry sauce so there is no end date there although my bank manager would disown me pretty soon……..dam bankers with different life goals to that of a mouse “deep sigh”.
No pressure but just for your info……each day of Mouse ox suspense kills me off slowly………hope you didn’t see what I did there “batting my eyelashes “.
Aaaaaaagh, finding the depth of rabbit holes has killed me ten times already in my life but you just pulled some master wizadery with something you did……
You said party and adventure in one sentence……………absolutely no orange blooded mouse could ever refuse such an esteemed invitation so I will happily be your Cheshire cat for the trippy party. I will even lick myself clean and be on my best mozzarella behaviour for the event :)
Okay, I better go read up on what I have made myself game for later (normal story of my life but love it.) hehehe.
oy !LOLZ ... for that comment, I be expecting an entry from you next time Mr. Mouse hahaha
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Heeeeey, no fair.....I think all just got turned around on me by cleverly cunning you @samsmith1971 lol.
Now I am going to have a sleepless night trying to dream up what I would even contemplate writing about....dam my quiet big mouth sometimes hehehe.
Sam, we'll get together and pull the little furry, covered in camembert & cranberry sauce, mouse to our party with WotW.
You know you'll thank us, Mr Mouse! Hehe! 💛
Aaaaargh! I suddenly smell a stinky cheese joint uprising standing on my tail so that I can’t run.
Gangsters ye be I tell you.
Oi vey, toss a quill this way and I shall contemplate…….cheeky brats 💛🐭😅
haha Absolutely, Jules... cornered... with mousetraps blocking every exit hehehe
hahaha... you are well and truly on the radar 🤭
😂 Trust an irritating pinging machine to sell me out. 🙄😂
I'm curious to hear what Simon's answer will be at the last part.
I may possibly return to this story. It seems I have left too much unwritten and readers are curious for more. Always a good sign that more of the story needs to be told.
Thank you for your comment @funshee. 🤗
This won't be a bad idea, just in case you do, you can tag me along.
Ah, bless you! I will do that. 💛
It must be a little strange to live rewinding time like this. Although on certain occasions it is what one would most like, if you think about it. How relentless time can be. Excellent friend.
Oh, I don't know @fragozar01, I think there are a lot of people that rewind time on a daily basis. And live on repeat. Luckily for Sally, the "rewind" for her was just more obvious by happening on one night in particular. Thank goodness for her granda's clock!
>"If ye could rewind your time, would you change your life?"
I'd change so many things. ... and yet, not a Wit.
I've played this in my head many times. I made many mistakes, and some have hurt the people around me. I'd change those mistakes in a heartbeat if I could... but, it leads me back to one last thing. Always this:
If I do change that mistake, then, nothing I am now is the same. I would not be the person I am now (Good? bad? who knows) and that's a bad thing. Nor would the people around me, be the same.
And I love who they are. I wouldn't want to change them.
I'd hate to skip out on who we are now, and move over to some alternate parallel timeline, never to get back to who we truly are now.
Thanks for this, Blue. I may use some of your thinking for Simon's character when I write the sequel. Hehe!
I mean, she did ask the question and then kiss him. Let's hope he doesn't want to change anything. Haha!
Seriously, though, life is like the sea. There are ups and downs, periods of calm, and then a storm comes along and sweeps you off your feet. 🌊🌊🌊
and like a storm at sea, sometimes, it's not that big a deal, and other times? well, you find yourself gasping, and heart racing, and you realize, you are all wet!
Let's hope Simon and Sally can weather the storm without too much trouble.
Yes, let's.
You know I'm now imagining you all wet, don't you?! Haha!
Hi @juliamulcahy,
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T'anks, @teamuksupport! 😉
But do they get steaming or does the alcohol go back in the too!
That, my friend, I will leave to your pleasure and imagination! After all, as the writer, I just line them up, while you, as the reader, get to knock them down! Hehe!
haha line them up then 🍺🍺🍺
Isn't it handy that I know the perfect place? Have you ever been to the Blue Hen? Lol!
Plenty of similar places;)
I enjoyed this story, particularly the dialogue. You have a good ear for accents and phrases. They make the story more realistic. I also liked the way you slow down time by having the characters bring attention to the clock. It honestly feels like a moment suspended in time. Nicely done!
Thank you @litguru. I'm touched. Glad you enjoyed the story and thank you for the compliments.
I had fun with the Irish dialogue.
Aww that's so sweet❤️
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it! 💛
Gosh... Julia. This is going to sit with me for some Time. 'Scuse the allusion to the great prompt this week.
I don't even know. I'm gonna have to ponder this one a great deal... this is not an easy question to answer... because life... but loss and mistakes... but learning and growth... but wishes... but missing... but adventure and the unknown... but
What a story! Boom! 💥
Was that your head exploding, Nicky? Please! Don't say it's so! Oh my! What have I done?
Hehe! It was the question inside Stereophonics song, Rewind. Honestly! Not my question at all. Blame them!!!
🤨
I saw what you did there and I'm on to you!
Well done, beautiful 😊
Well done!!
Lovely 🌹🌹
Reading from @dreemport
You're very kind, @sommylove 💛
Wow 😳
Thanks dear for the compliment 🙏
the pub version of ground hog day ... interesting twist
I love the concept of groundhog day. Always found it fascinating, and it did come to mind when I was writing. Thank you for noticing. 💛
What an interesting concept. So time does rewind. I guess the bodily condition does as well? Or they could not continue drinking. But the mind is separate and realizes the rewind to "enjoy" it once again. Oh, you can build on that :-)
Looking forward to reading more..?
Nice philosophical ending btw.
!PIZZA
Thank you @hannes-stoffel. I did enjoy this story. It kind of wrote itself. If you know what I mean. I had a couple of ideas but the writing just had its own and I followed along. Hehe!
I think a prequel is forming so a little more rewinding of time is likely to happen.
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Wonderful, Jules... I !LUV that she finally had the insight to take control of her love life - taking advantage of the reverse rolling hands on her Granda's clock 💗 ...and I think a prequel and a sequel would be perfectly in order... I think I am quite taken by your characters... dare I say... in such a short time... I have fallen for them... and your use of colloquial Irish is fabulous!!! What an utterly original take... !ALIVE !LADY
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Is it okay to tell you I'm blushing rn? Or possibly, it's the flush! Hehehe!
But either way, thank you. Perhaps, there'll make an appearance with the next WotW. We'll just have to wait...ah that TIME thingy again! Thanks for !Luv lovely lady. 💛
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